Kerry Mulls Talks With Pyongyang

TOKYO—Secretary of State John Kerry said he would be willing to open a direct U.S. diplomatic channel to North Korea's leadership in a bid to reduce tensions in Northeast Asia, provided Pyongyang showed signs it was moving to begin dismantling its nuclear-weapons arsenal.

The U.S. diplomat said the Obama administration was seeking to work with China to find an opening to North Korean leader Kim Jong Eun, who has repeatedly threatened to attack U.S. and allied targets in North Asia and the Pacific in recent weeks. Washington...